Roofing and like tiles



J. H. HUTCHINSON ROOFING AND LIKE TILES Filed Jan. 29, 1934 a 0% NW2 0? a m ,6

Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,000,392 ROOFING AND LIKE TILES 7 John Henry Hutchinson, Portslade-by-Sea, England, assignor to Pipes, Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application January 29, 1934, Serial No. 708,862

In Great Britain September 27, 1932 2 Claims. (01.108-10) This invention comprises improvements in and connected with roofing and like tiles, and in particular to terra-cotta andsimilar tiles such as those which are made of concrete, clay, or suit- 5 able compositions and which are produced by moulding, pressing or like hand.

Simple flat roofing and like tiles oi the socalled double-lap variety are distinct from the single-lap variety in that each tile overlaps two tile thicknesses beneathand over a substantial area, whereas, in the single-lap kind, each tile only overlaps one tile thickness beneath, to a small extent, so that it is necessary to provide sealing or interlocking grooves along the side edges.

This invention is concerned only with tiles oi the double-lap variety and its object is to provide a double-lap tile which is adapted for producing a. windproof, rainproof and snowproof roof or like covering and for enabling'substantial economies to be eifected. Thus, for example, with double-lap'terra-cotta tiles of the ordinary construction, and in order to obtain good weathop'erations, or by er-proof roof coverings, it is necessary to employ boarding or felting beneath the tiles or toprovide a bedding or so-called torching of mastic, cement or the like. A tile constructed in accordance with this invention enables these expensive additions to be dispensed with. Furth'ermore, it enables the desired weatlier-proofness to be attained with fewer tiles perunit of square measurement as the extent of the overlap can be reduced without sacrifice of weather tightness thereby reducing the costs of material and labour. Finally, the said tile gives a more watertight roof at a lower pitch than ordinary doublelap tiles at a steeper pitch.

According to this invention, a double-lap roofing or like tile is formed with a hanging projection such as a rib or the like on its under surface, a drainage depression extending down its upper surface and merging into the surface of the tile at an intermediate point in the length of the tile, and an obstructing wall at the upper end of the depression for arresting inward or upward drift of rain, snow or moisture from said depression. Such a tile can be simply hung on the tile battens and, owing to the provision of the drainage depression and the drift-obstructing wall, the overlap of the tiles can be reduced while any ingress of moisture is effectively dealt with. At the same time, with the depression covered by the overlapping part of the tiles above, the roof has the appearance of an ordinary double-lap tiled roof. The drainage depression takes the form of a transverse groove immediately beneath the drift-obstructing wall and a plurality of parallel longitudinal grooves extending from said transverse groove down the 5 tile between plain side marginal portions. An advantageous construction is to provide a pair of longitudinal grooves for an ordinary-width tile thus leaving a central surface part which is a useful guide in laying the tiles as will be described. A half-tile construction for use in conjunction with ordinary-sized tiles would suitably have the depression or grooves extending to the lower edge of the half-tile. The depth of the depression or grooves may gradually diminish T from the top of the tiles downwards.

In order to enable the'invention to be readily understood reference will be made to the .accompanying drawing illustrating by way'of example dilierent constructions of tiles inaccordg ance with these improvements, in which draw- 1ng:- I

Figure 1 is a plan of one construction of tile,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a plan of a tile-and-ea-half,

Figure 4 is a plan of a half tile,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a plan of a modified construction'oi tile,

Figure 7 is a side elevation of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a plan illustrating tiles in accordance with these improvements laid on supporting battens. V

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the moulded tile a is formed along the top edge with ribs a. and b on the upper and under surfaces respectively, the ribs being of approximately rectangular section. The rib a presents an obstructing wall forwardly and acts as a drift guard rib as will be hereinafter described and the rib b is a hanging rib which rests against the battens c, Figure 8, to which the tile is secured by nails passing through holes d. The depression in the upper surface is in the form of twin parallel grooves or channels 6 of shallow depth which extend down the tile between plain side marginal portions and communicate with one another at the top by a transverse groove or channel) immediately beneath the drift guard rib a. Thedepression is thus of an inverted U-form, having its greatest depthat the top immediately beneath the drift guard rib and geting shallower down the tile until the legs e of the depression fade away and disappear about halfway down the tile. The tile is formed with the usual slight 55 convexity or camber from the top to the bottom edge as shown in Figure 2.

In the case of a large tile or fitting a known as a tile-and-a-half, as shown in Figure 3, the depression may be a four-legged instead of a two-legged depression; the four legs e communieating as before with the transverse channel f beneath the drift guard rib a. In the case of a small tile or fitting a known as a half-tile, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the legs e of the depression may extend down the upper surface of the tile from the top edge to the bottom edge, the depth of the depression diminishingpreferably from the maximum depth at the transverse groove f below the drift guard rib a towards the lower edge of the tile. According to the modified construction of tile a shown in Figures 6 and '7, the sides and central portions 9' g bounding the legs 6 are flush with an obstructing wall It immediately above the transverse groove f of the depression. The extra depth of the walls Z of the tile in this construction results in a bigger check against side drifts of snow or rain. The obstructing wall It arrests inward drift or drive of rain or snow from the depressions 6 The shapes of the depressions illustrated in the drawing are merely by way of example and it will be understood that the groove or-grooves constituting the depression may be of any suitable shape in plan.

As shown in Figure 8 the tiles a in accordance with Figures 1 and 2 for example, are laid in the usual manner but with a reduced overlap and so that one tile overlaps a lower tile to an extent just suflicient for covering the depression 1 e therein. The bottomrow of half tiles is overlapped to its entire length by the tiles of the next row so that the full length depressions in the half tiles are covered. It will be seen in each case, that the central surface part, such as g (Figure 6), between the two longitudinal grooves acts as a guide in laying the tiles. The ends of alternate rows may be completed by tiles-and-ahalf a, while the top row of tiles k may have a plain upper surface without depressions. The under-surface of each tile as shown in Figure 8, rests upon the top or drift guard rib a of the tile or tiles which itoverlaps. Thus, in a roof covering composed of such tiles, rain or moisture runs down through the legs of the depression therein and any upward or inward drift or drive of rain, snow or moisture along these depressions is obstructed or arrested by aforesaid obstructing wall of the drift guard ribs, such as a, or by the wall It in the case of a tile in accordance with Figures 6 and 7. The upper ends of the parts such as 9 (Figure 6) separating the legs of the depression may be rounded at e for assisting drainage from the transverse groove down said legs. Any side draught or lateral drift of snow or rain is obstructed or arrested by the Walls Z of the channellike depression, so that moisture is again deposited to run down the depression of the tile as aforesaid.

1. Roofing tile of the double-lap type constructed with a hanging projection on its under surface, distinguished by the formation in the upper surface of the tile of a drainage depression comprising a transverse groove at the top of the tile and a plurality of relatively wide parallel longitudinal grooves of gradually diminishing depth extending from said transverse groove down the tile between plain side marginal portions and situated so as to leave a central surface part between such grooves, the length of these longitudinal grooves being such that they terminate short of the point where the covering tile would end and the said grooves being of such width that a substantially wide ungrooved portion is provided by said central surface part in the center ofthe'tile, with large drainage areas on eachside thereof, and an upward drift guard comprising an obstructing wall immediately above said transverse groove.

2. Roofing tile of the double-lap type constructed with a hanging projection on its under surface, distinguished by the formation in the upper surface of the tile of a drainage depression comprising a transverse groove at the top of the tile and a pair of relatively wide parallel longitudinal grooves of gradually diminishing depth extending from said transverse groove down the tile between plain side marginal portions and situated so as to leave a central surface part between such grooves, the length of these longitudinal grooves being such that they terminate short of the point Where the covering tile would end and the said grooves being of such width that a substantially wide ungrooved portion is pro- 

